Class Starters and Enders help utilize the last minutes of class when a lesson ends but there is not enough time to start another, or for an interest approach at the
beginning of class. Mini-lessons correlate to GPS in the programs areas below.
The Morrill Act-1862
Program Areas: All CTAE Areas
Instructions: Read the narrative and make notes of important points, answer questions, and be ready to discuss this topic.
History:
From 1847 in the United States Congress, there was much conversation on improving the education of the everyday citizen including those that
pursued farming as a profession. Congressmen began to talk about creating Agriculture colleges, particularly among the congressmen from the
Eastern states. A land-grant bill was initially passed in the Illinois legislature by Professor J.B. Turner to provide funding for a land-grant industrial
college. Justin Smith Morrill along with others was inspired to adopt this act and bring it to the U.S. Congress. The original bill that was passed in
Illinois, provided that each state was to receive an equal grant, but when it was presented to the U.S. Congress the bill had changed to provide
allocated land based on the number of senators and representatives each state had in Congress. This made the bill more advantageous to the
eastern states that were more populated at the time.
The Morrill Act was first proposed in 1857, was passed by congress in 1859, and promptly vetoed by President James Buchanan. Morrill was
undeterred by this and resubmitted the bill which included that the agricultural colleges would teach military tactics as well as engineering and
agriculture. Many states that had previously opposed the bill had seceded from the union at this point, which helped the bill to pass. It was signed
into law on July 2, 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln.
The purpose of the land-grant colleges was:
“…without excluding other scientific and classical studies and including military
tactic, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the
mechanic arts, in such manner as the legislatures of the States may respectively
prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial
classes in the several pursuits and professions in life…”
Under the Morrill Act each eligible state received a total of 30,000 acres of federal land,
either within or contiguous to its boundaries, for each member of congress the state had
pursuant to the Census of 1860. There was however one catch. No state that was fighting
against the U.S. Government was deemed eligible to receive a land-grant college. This
included most southern states currently fighting in the War Between the States. After the
war ended the act was extended to include the southern states.
Justin Smith Morrill
Georgia Connection:
There are two Land-Grant colleges in the state of Georgia: The University of Georgia and Fort Valley State University. Both of these universities
continue to teach agriculture while providing research opportunities for those interested in a variety of pursuits.
Review
1. What year was the Morrill Act first passed by the U.S. Congress?
History Connection- Briefly define the following terms.
2. What president vetoed the Morrill Act?
3. What was the purpose of the Morrill Act?
Morrill Act
land-grant college
4. Why was the Morrill Act important?
5. Who signed the Morrill Act into law?
6. Who was excluded from participating in the Morrill Act in the 1862 version? Why?
Georgia CTAE Resource Network - Written by Shannon Lawrence, and Dr. Frank B. Flanders